Neon Genesis: Opus Dei
by Sanity's Crucifix
Summary: In his folly man attempted to make God his plaything. For this arrogance man was to be punished in the form of the seventeen messengers. Witness the atrocities of Nerv through the eyes of a madman.
1. episode 1

A/N: Neon Genesis' story line, situations, and characters have all been taken and warped to my own sick pleasure. The following situations will consist of crossed cannon time lines from both the manga and the series its self. Massive OOC will be in effect, don't like it, leave now. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: If owned Neon Genesis would I honestly be writing this? Evangelion, its titles, and characters, are the copyrighted trademark of Gainax Studios. So don't sue me. Review or flame, its your decision to make.

/Text/ German

_text_ BGM

"Text" Words spoken, or sung

'Text' Thought

_Like an Angel without a sense of mercy, rises young one to the heavens as a legend._

_Cold winds, as blue as the sea, tear open the door to your heart, but unknowing you seem,_

_Just staring at me, standing their smiling serenely. _

_Desperate for something to touch, moments of kindness like that of a dream._

_You're innocent; as eyes as yet have no idea of the path your destiny will follow._

_But, someday you'll become aware of everything you got behind you._

_Your wings are for seeking out a new future that only you can search for._

_The cruel Angel's thesis bleeds through a portal like your pulsing blood._

_If you betray the chapel of your memories, the cruel Angel will enter the window of your soul._

_So, young one, stand tall and embrace the fire of legend, embrace the universe like a blazing star! _

**Messiah Studios Present:**

**In Association With Death Lands Pictures**

**A Faux Savior Production:**

_**Evangelion: Opus Dei **_

Episode 1: Pilot

_Begin transmission _

-Thirty miles off the coast of Tokyo 3 12:30 pm EST August 5 2015-

From above the waves, the UN VTOL's cameras once again trained them selves on the dark shape moving in the water.

"That's the third time this thing has changed its direction within the minute," the aircrafts co-pilot said. "Still think it's a submarine?"

"I have no idea whatsoever, radio HQ, and tell them that our target's ETA is within the next ten minutes." As the co-pilot began to relay the message, a series of sensors in the VTOL began to scream wildly.

"What the hell?" Turning their attention to the video screen, a massive glow of energy could be seen forming on the water's surface just above the submerged object. The last contact heard from the VTOL before its transmission cut was "My god their back." The humans had received the first part of its message, the traveler picked up speed closing in on its target, Sachiel had arrived.

-----

"Great, dead batteries," the sole occupant of Tokyo transit muttered to herself, shaking the dying CD player in annoyance. Leaning back in her seat, she sighed. "Item three on the list of reasons why I should have never bothered to come." Watching as the scenery changed from open landscape to that of the station, Rei Ikari began to gather her things up.

"Last stop Tokyo 3 transit station, please remove all of your belongings from the train as you exit, thank you for riding transit and have a nice day," the mechanical monotone of the Conductor droned, the train coming to a screeching halt. Stepping in to the station, the first thing noticed was the lack of people. 'Wasn't there supposed to be someone picking me up?' she wondered, heading toward the main entrance.

-----

"General the artillery battalions are in place, awaiting your orders."

"When it arrives fire at will, leave no piece of it alive." Several dozen mass armored vehicles trained their main guns on the encroaching behemoth in Tokyo bay. Breaking the surface the closer toward land it drew, was a massive bird like creature with multiple limbs ending in wickedly cruel claws, its sole purpose, obliterating the Lilim city.

"Fire at will, fire at will!" The deafening boom of gunpowder against metal drowned the order out as a myriad of shells rained down on the Angel. A hexagonal shield of energy expanded itself from the beast's body, deflecting the projectiles like they were, but flies.

"Keep firing, fall back and keep firing!" A second volley of mortar fire and anti-personal weaponry was launched at the monstrosity, all of which met the same fate as the first. Turing its interests toward the futile human offense, the traveler switched its objectives for the moment, take out the Lilim defense. Raising its palm to the artillery batteries, Sachiel watched with curious eyes as the light of his soul burned the humans and their machines to ash.

-----

"It seems that your military might has failed us General Poe, let us see if my air force's best men can handle what your troops could not, launch all fighters!"

"General Rodriguez!"

"Yes lieutenant?"

"We've tracked the target, its heading straight for the heart of the city!"

"Good, we can corner it there, we've already evacuated the city so casualties should be reduced to a minimum, order the Utha's to converge on the target as soon as it enters the park. If my fighters prove their worth, then it looks like you won't get a chance to try out your toy Ikari."

"We will see when the time comes General, we will see."

"It's been nearly fifteen years since we've last seen them, it looks likes the scrolls were right, the Angels have returned," Nerv's second in command spoke.

"Everything is as it has been predicted."

"Then no amount of the JSSDF's conventional weaponry could ever hope to stop them."

"For now the Eva project is mankind's only hope."

-----

"We're sorry, but do the state of emergency, all phone lines have been shutdown," the recording stated flatly. Rei sighed, slamming down the receiver and pulling out a photo. It depicted a woman wearing a yellow top and cutoff shorts leaning forward.

"I'll pick you up at three," was written along the side. She sighed again and looked off down the street. She noticed someone standing in the middle of the intersection. A series of explosions in the distance drew her attention away from them and when she looked back they were gone.

'That was weird,' she thought. Another series of explosions, closer this time, rocked the ground causing Rei to lose her balance and fall to her knees. Rei looked up and screamed a monstrous, clawed hand rested on the summit of the hill across the street from the station. A squadron of F-24 Utah's flew from behind it as the Angel emerged in pursuit. She stared up at the monstrosity in transfixed horror, her state of shock only to be broken by a cluster of missiles flying overhead, detonating before they made contact with the beast's body.

Two more fighters appeared in the sky, diving down at the Angel, their forward guns blazing. Sachiel, snapping out one of its arms, tore an assailing fighter from the sky, bringing it crashing to the ground. An enormous frigate moved from its cover of a shattered building, firing off a quadruplet of massive warheads. The messenger of destruction extended its muscled limbs, the impact of the missiles in its palms forcing it back a step. Sachiel's grip tightened on the missiles, crushing in the heads and detonating them. The resulting shockwave reduced glass to nothing and tossed vehicles like they were mere children's playthings.

Screaming, Rei frantically crawled behind the phone booth, the agitated wind violently wiping shards of glass against her huddled form.

"Make it stop," she whimpered. "Make it stop." Sachiel pushed forward, proceeding deeper into the heart of the city. The sounds of battle faded, leaving Rei in silence.

-----

The hollowed sounds of footsteps echoed through the empty streets of Tokyo 3. The owner of the footfalls rounded the corner, her arms and legs pumping as she jogged along. Captain Misato Katsuragi placed her hand against the wall for support, her head hung and breathing heavily. Sliding her headphones off, she flipped her Mp3 player to standby just in time to hear her cell phone going off.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you!"

"Well hello to you to Ritsuko," she greeted the enraged doctor.

"I've tried calling you ten times in the last half hour!"

"I had my headphones on, I probably didn't hear you."

"What have you been doing?"

"I was out jogging."

"How could you be jogging when the city is under attack?"

"It is?" She questioned surprised.

"How do you," Ritsuko sighed. "Never mind, you do know that you were supposed to pick up the commander's daughter at 3:00 right?"

"I thought that was tomorrow."

"Misato, we needed her here a half an hour ago! She was supposed to be our spare pilot!" Misato cringed under the verbal assault.

"Ritsuko, calm down, I'll go get her, but in the mean time can't you just use Michael?"

"We can't find him," Ritsuko responded flatly.

"What do you mean you can't find him?"

"I mean he's not anywhere on the base or at home, we don't even know if he's in the city."

"All right, I'm on my way."

"You better hope she's still alive, the station was one of the first places hit, if she's dead you'll lose a lot more then your job."

"I understand."

"And Misato, be careful."

-----

Dr. Akagi sighed, placing the receiver back in its cradle. She rubbed her temples before picking up the phone again, punching in the number with nervous fingers. The line clicked, and "Hello?" a Russian accent answered.

"Nicholai, I need you to do me a favor."

"And what do you need me to do Ritsuko?"

"I sent Misato out to get the commander's daughter, but I don't think she can do it, she's been a little unstable lately so I need you to pick her up."

"No offense doctor, but you're insane if you think I could do that. I've got so much to get done down here that I'd have to pull a fucking miracle out of my ass to finish let alone drive out into a city that looks like the result of world war three to pick up some kid." Voices in the background could be heard shouting followed by a tremendous crash. Nicholai began screaming obscenities in a cross between Russian and English.

"What the hell is going on down there?"

"We're still trying to outfit Unit-1 with the B-type equipment, Unit-00 just began the de-freezing process, and we're having trouble with Eva-1's activation. Look Dr. Akagi, I'll see what I can do on the third child situation, but I'm not making any promises."

"Thanks Nicholai, I owe you."

-----

"Rei Ikari?" A flat voice inquired. Rei slowly looked up, her crimson eyes wide with fear. The form of a figure dressed in black jeans, a leather jacket, and a motorcycle helmet with the visor down met her vision. She nodded her reply.

"I need you to come with me," they stated.

"Who are you?"

"I work for Nerv, I have been sent to retrieve you," The figure answered, climbing onto the large Yamaha beside them. How had she not heard it approach?

"Get on." Cautiously, Rei approached the motorcycle, wrapping her legs around the back seat.

"Hold on." Rei complied, wrapping her arms around the figures waist. The engine revved and the bike took off down the street, the wind feverishly wiping Rei's hair.

-----

"My best squadron crushed like insects," General Rodriquez sighed. "What am I going to tell their families?"

"It is unanimous then general?"

"Yes, no more holding back, prepare to launch the Leviathan." A technician turned towards their consul, typing in several commands.

"Authorization code: Alpha Tango Delta Tango Papa 312666, General the Meridian is hot."

-----

Far above the planet's surface the Meridian weapons platform orbited. From the under carriage a barrel extended and rotated into place, stabilization fins expanded from it's sides. With a sound much like that of a grenade launcher, the N2 mine Leviathan left it's home and plummeted towards the earth.

-----

"Please be alright, please be all right, please be alright," Captain Katsuragi muttered to herself as she drove well over the speed limit through the ruins of Tokyo 3. The captian's eyes darted around fretfully searching for any signs of the Angel. Her vigilance paid off as a gigantic foot crashed to the ground before Misato's car. With a scream she slammed on the brakes and yanked the stirring wheel to the right, sending the car into a cycle of vomit inducing spins. The vehicle came under control and stopped before it could crash into the Angel. The violet haired captain watched, frozen in terror, as the monstrous being lifted its foot and continued down the street, leaving a trail of fathomless craters behind. The shrill whistle of a massive object falling from the heavens pierced the distilled silence that filled the air.

"My god, they launched an N2 mine!" Misato's eyes tracked the friction induced fiery object as it streaked across the sky. Throwing the car into reverse, she slammed her foot down on the gas and flew backwards. Switching to drive, she swung the car around and gunned it, her eyes on the review mirror. Sachiel looked up unconcerned as the weapon hurtled towards him. The Leviathan impacted at Sachiel's feet, bathing the heavenly messenger and the entire city in all of it's burning destructive glory. Misato screamed, a pillar of fire charging down the street after her. The wall of inferno slammed into the rear end of her car, causing it to go out of control. The force of the impact whiplassed her head against the steering wheel, knocking her unconscious as her car crashed through the guardrail and flipped down into the canyon below.

-----

"External cameras offline, the shockwaves have knocked out the sensors," a technician called.

"Has the target been neutralized? I want visual conformation!"

"External cameras restored, brining it on screen." The static on the bridge's monitor faded replaced by the image of dust and smoke filled sky around the Tenkai district. The smoke slowly faded reveling a completely devastated cityscape.

"Is it dead? Did we get it?"

"Blue pattern detected!" A female technician cried, the energy chart on her screen spiking dramatically. A sillhoute began to emerge from the smoke, Sachiel stood in the midsts of the destruction, it's flesh melted and peeling from the heat, but still standing.

"It's still alive how can that be?"

"We've used up all our options, the Leviathan was our last resort, our future is in your hands now Ikari, prove to us all that it was wise to trust you with our hopes."

"That is why Nerv exists General Poe." The bridge fell into silence, the defeated generals leaving Nerv's staff to prepare their assault on God's servant.

-----

"What was that?" Rei called to her escort.

"I believe it was an N2 mine, a thermal nuclear device," came the driver of the motorcycle's monotonous reply. The complete flatness and lack of emotion in the driver's voice was beginning to scare Rei, the way they sounded reminded her of a computer or a robot. The Yamaha came to an abrupt stop, it's driver climbing off.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting us a ride." The driver pressed a button on the intercom located next to the gate before them. "This is Michael, I'm requesting a car elevator."

"Where the hell have you been? The whole base has been trying to find you!" A voice shouted over the intercom.

"I was retrieving the third child who is now in my presences."

"Thank the Gods," the sound of relieve could be heard on the intercom. "You're needed in the cages, bring the third child with you."

"Understood," Michael stated turning to Rei. She watched, fascinated, as he removed his helmet, revealing a crop of short, spiky, black hair, deathly pale skin, and deep crimson eyes much like her own.

"Why do they keep referring to me as the 'third child'?"

"Read this," Michael answered, tossing a booklet with the words 'welcome to Nerv' and 'classified your eyes only' written on it.

"Nerv, my mother's organization, am I going to be working for my mother?"

"Nerv is headed by Commander Ikari, you do have the clearance card she sent you, do you not?" Rei nodded pulling out a red and silver hued card from her pocket. Michael took it from her hands and slide it through the slot next to the intercom along with his own, the gate in front of them sliding open. Michael wheeled his motorcycle into the car elevator, Rei following him.

-----

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi and the head of Nerv's weapons division, Nicholai Hebb, stood on the bridge before the hulking behemoth known as Evangelion Unit-1 an exhausted look on both of their faces.

"Well it wasn't easy, but I think we can actually pull this off," Nicholai stated proudly.

"Look Nicholai, this is probably asking to much of you, but I need you to go out and try to find Captain Katsurgai, she hasn't returned yet and I'm worried she got herself killed." Nicholai let out an exasperated sigh.

"All right, but I'm going to need you to keep that Angel off my back while I'm out there."

"Got it." Without warning the doctor wrapped her arms around her friend. The surprise quickly wore off and he returned the gesture.

"Will doctor Akagi please report to lift three for pilot retrieval?"

"Sounds like they're playing your song," Nicholai stated pulling away.

"See you on the other side," she called after him, the two going their separate ways.

------

Rei looked up from the book at Micheal noting that his expression still had not changed from the time that they had entered the elevator. His face held no emotion on it and could only be described as dead and it creeped the hell out of her. The fact that his eyes looked like lifeless pools of red ink didn't help either. The doors to the elevator slide open and a bottle blonde haired woman in a lab coat stepped in startling Rei out of her thoughts.

"There you are Michael, we were wondering where you had gotten off to," she spoke regarding Rei with a glance.

"I was retrieving the third child as it seemed that no one else was willing to do it Dr."

"And you must be the commander's daughter, we were starting to worry that you were dead," the woman spoke turning to Rei, who nodded. The concrete wall of the shaft gave way to open space, the titanic wall of a glass tank appearing before them and towering into the sky.

"How is the activation of Unit-1 going?"

"So far it has been unsuccessful, the Magi have commutated that the chance of a successful re-activation is .000009 or the O nine system like Oni, the name for Japanese devils. The elevator came to a stop and the trio exited into a cavern of darkness.

"Hey what happen to the lights, why is it so dark in here!' Rei called out. As if by some unspoken command the lights switched on and Rei screamed, coming face to face with the massive head of Unit-1.

"I-t it's a giant robot," she stammered and began to flip feverishly through the book.

"You're not going to find this in there," Ritsuko pointed out. "This is the hope and future of man kind, the Evangelion series Unit-1."

"This is my mother's work?"

"Correct," a cold voice echoed from the observation room above them. Rei turned, her features contorting in anger and fear. "It's been a while."

"Mother, why did you send for me?"

"Because I have a use for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You will be piloting Unit-1."

"What!" Dr. Akagi shouted. "How can you send her out there, she doesn't have any training and it took nearly three months for Michael to synchronize with his Unit."

"I do not need her to fight, all I ask is that she sits in the seat nothing else."

"Are you insane?" Rei screamed. "I haven't even seem anything like this before, I haven't seen you in ten years and now you call me out here and ask me to save the fucking world, what makes you think I can do this?"

"You will be instructed how."

"Still there's just no way!"

"Very well then, Michael you will pilot the Eva, our spare is unusable."

"Ma'am." Michael nodded.

"Recalibrate the system to Michael prepare the Eva for launch," Ritsuko ordered.

"So she didn't need me after all, maybe I am useless," Rei muttered. A thunderous crash echoed through the cages as an explosion pierced the Geo Front's armor, several support beams being freed from their moorings in the process and falling straight for the bridge.

"Move!" Michael pushed Rei out from under the beams before they impacted on her, his body catching the full force from one of the girders as it smashed him through the railing and into the waters of the tank.

"It appears that the Angel knows where we are," stated the wizened voice of Fuyutsuki. A hand appeared on the edge of the bridge and Michael pulled him self-weakly up and over onto the floor.

"My God, are you alright?" Rei rushed over to him and attempted to help him up.

"I'll be fine," came his labored reply, his chest heaving raggedly and blood trickling out of his mouth in a tiny stream. A small voice in Rei's head began to speak, the voice of her teacher.

"Remember Rei, no matter what your mother asks of you, you mustn't run away," it whispered, her thoughts echoing that statement.

"I'll do it, I'll pilot the Eva for you!"

"Good, prepare the entry plug," came the Commander's orders. Rei found her self within the grasp of two Technicians and being shoved into a large white tube marked 01. Once seated, Dr. Akagi appeared on a screen and began to give her the basic instructions on how to pilot the Eva.

"Flood the cockpit."

"What's going on, what's happening?" She cried, the tube filling with an amber substance, which smelled like blood.

"Don't worry, the LCL will help you synchronize with the Eva and will automatically oxygeniate your blood as soon as it enters your lungs," came the doctor's reply. Rei instinctively held her breath as the cockpit was completely filled, the fluid stinging her damaged skin.

"Oh for God's sake quit holding your breath and breathe already," Ritsuko snapped looking cross.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Rei mumbled, exhaling and allowing the fluid to flow into her lungs.

"Insert the entry plug," Yui ordered. Rei felt the vibrations as the plug was lifted from its hold and screwed into the back of Unit-1's neck. The bridge and the gates around the Eva retracted and Unit-1 moved towards the elevator.

"All safety locks in place, Eva ready for launch," Lt. Ibuki reported.

"Eva launch!" Ritsuko shouted, the giant Mecca instantly shot up the shaft ascending to the surface.

"Unit-1 has exited the shaft, releasing safety locks." The locks on the back of the Unit released and the Eva slumped forward, now standing on its own power.

"All right Rei, just concentrate on walking, just think about walking and the Eva will do the rest," the Dr.'s voice called over the intercom. Rei concentrated and slowly the giant mecha's left foot began to rise. Feeling a bit more confident with this feat, she tried again. Unit-1's right foot rose shakily and it's left leg gave out, the Eva suddenly lost it's balance and crashed to the ground. Cocking its head in curiosity the Angel approached the downed mecha and picked it up by its head. The muscle in Sachiels shoulder's bulged as it grasped Unit-1's arm and broke it.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Rei screamed in agony.

"The circuits have snapped, the neural connections are reversing, and we're losing the Eva!" Lt. Ibuki called out.

"Rei relax you have to calm down, it wasn't your real arm that was broken the neural connections are giving your brain the sensation that you broke your arm," Ritsuko explained.

-----

"It sounds like the battle has already started, guess they got the third child after all," Nicholai stated, his eyes traveling across the road looking for the Captain's car. His headlights came upon a ruined section of the guardrail. Slowing, he grabbed a flashlight and got out. Carefully he made his way down into the canyon below, the flashlight beam landing on the damaged hulk of the Captain's Nissan.

"Oh, shit, Misato are you alright?" he called running towards the semi-conscious woman hanging out of the over turned vehicles driver side window. Nicholai eyed the stream of blood flowing from the gash on the Captain's head in concern.

"Come on Misato, we need to get you to the infirmary," he coaxed pulling the wounded woman from her wreck of a car. Hoisting her onto his shoulder, he made his way slowly back up the side of the canyon. Opening the door, he gently placed her in the passenger seat and got in, driving off as fast as possible.

-----

_1, 2, 3 - Go!_   
Sachiel had tired of playing with the pitiful excuse for a machine and decided to finish it off. Gripping the Eva's head, the protrusion on Sachiel's elbow glowing with energy and slamming forward into the Eva's head armor repeatedly each impact driving just a little bit farther into it's skull.

"The brain case has sustained heavy damage, pilot life signs are dropping rapidly!"

_Broken, Yeah, you've been living on the edge of a broken dream. _

"Abort! Abort! Eject the entry plug and retrieve the pilot!"

"We can't the Eva isn't responding!" With one final impact the energy pike pierced through the armored head of Unit-1 and forced it into a building. Blood sprayed out in fountains as the Angel removed the pike from the Eva's head.

_Nothing, yeah, that's the only thing you'll ever take away from me _

"The Eva has de-activated all connections have been lost." Slowly, Commander Ikari stood up from her seat. An aura of command and respect radiating off of her as she made her way down from the command chair to the intercom located by Ristsuko's side. Clicking on the mike, she spoke gently into the intercom.

_I'm never gonna stop, I'm never gonna drop. Ain't no different than it was before._

"Rei, this is your mother," she stated quietly._  
_"M-mom?" she questioned weakly.

"Yes, seeming as it is that you are about to die, I wish to tell you that you are a great disappointment, I had hoped that even you would be able to perform such a simple task, but I have been proven horribly wrong. It seems that you are, after all, useless." All eyes were on the commander in disbelief.

_So take some good advice, you better stop and think twice, before you take your first step, out that door.  
_

"Y-you FUCKING BITCH, I'LL SHOW YOU WHO THE HELL IS USELES!" Everyone on the bridge's eyes bulged as Unit-1's synch ratio spiked dramatically and a series of alarms went off.

_If you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)! If you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down! _

"RRRRWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRAAAHHHHH! The giant mecha roared in fury, tearing the building it had been using for support into pieces in bloodcurdling rage. Yui grinned as she proudly watched Unit-1 go ballistic.

_You had your chance to walk away. Live to see another day.  
_

Eva-1 charged at the Angel and jumped, coming down with both feet making contact with the Angel's head and sending it staggering away. Eva-1 grabbed Sachiel and swung it into the air and flying into a building.

_If you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)! You're gonna get knocked down! _

With another roar, the Eva charged and slammed its head into the Angel's stomach and forced it deeper into the building.

_Aaaaah..._

Pulling the Angel out by it's head, Eva slammed it to the ground and brought the heel of it's foot crashing down on the base of the Sachiel's spine.

_Suffering, yeah, that's the only thing here that's left for you. Nothing, yeah, that's the only thing you're ever gonna - do. _

In a desperate attempt to escape, Sachiel kicked Eva-1 in the knees and crawled away. Standing shakily, it brought it's AT field to full force as Eva made another charge.

_I'm never gonna stop, I'm never gonna drop. Ain't no different than it was before.  
_ Eva stopped dead in its tracks slamming into the field. Growling, Eva latched its hands onto the hexagonal field of orange light and proceeded to rip it apart.

_So take some good advice, you better stop and think twice, before you take your first step, out that door.  
_

"Eva-1's unfolding it's own at field!"

_So if you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)! If you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down! _

"It's breaking through!" Eva-1 slammed a fist into the Angel's core, causing it to stumble back.

_You had your chance to walk away live to see another day.  
_Eva slammed another fist into the core before it brought its hands together and down on the Sachiel's head in a double hammer fist.

_If you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down (knocked down).! You're gonna get knocked down!  
_Sachiel staggered and collapsed on the ground, the mecha bringing its knee down on its stomach.

_You're gonna get knocked down!_

Unit-1 latched onto the bone like structures on the Angel's chest and pulled them apart, spraying blue blood in the process.

_And now you've crossed that line. You must be out your mind._

Sachiel's arms waved helplessly, feebly attempting to fend of its attacker.

_Go! _

Eva-1 broke off two of the protrusions from the Sachiel's body and impaled them through the Angel's hands, pinning them to the ground.

_If you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)! If you wanna step up (step up), you're gonna get knocked down! _

In one last attempt at salvation, Sachiel pulled free from it's make shift crucifixion and wrapped it's self around Uint-1's head.

_You're gonna get knocked down (step up)!_

Sachiel over loaded it's core and exploded forming the shape of the holy cross and taking out several city blocks.

_You're gonna get knocked down_...

"Blue pattern nonexistent, all traces of the Angel are gone," Lt. Hyuga stated, cheers erupting from the rest of the bride crew.

_You're gonna get knocked down (step up)! You're gonna get knocked... down! _

"It seems we finally have an effective way to defeat the Angels," Fuyutsuki commented. The room became silent as all eyes turned to the monitor to wait for the dust to clear. Suddenly from the smoldering blaze a figure appeared walking out in all of its glory. The Evangelion prototype Unit-1 came to a rest in front of an undamaged building, the armored helmet sliding off and crashing to the ground. Rei felt a calm wash over her as she leaned back into the pilot seat, her fit of rage coming to an end. Looking out of the left view screen and saw the head of Unit-1 reflected in the glass of the building's windows. As she watched the eye that had been blown out reformed it's self and seemed to focus directly on her. She let out a frightened gasp and passed out.

"Unit-1 has gone silent, pilot life signs nominal."

_: Transmission end:_

TO BE CONTINUED-


	2. episode 2

Disclaimer: I apologize for such a long wait between updates. Evangelion is strictly the property of Gainax studios. Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy the show.

/Text/ German

_text _BGM

"Text" Words or sung

'Text' thought

Episode 2: Unfamiliar Ceilings

_Begin Transmission:_

"Do you think it wise to be leaving now?"

"The Committee must be informed of what transgressed here, I'm leaving you in charge for now Sub-Commander, and I trust you can handle things while I'm gone."

"Do not worry as long as we have the Eva we should not have much trouble."

"Very well then Fuyutsuki, I will contact you as soon as I return."

"Have a safe trip Yui," the phone clicked, the dial tone ringing in the Sub-Commander's ears. Kozo sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I'm getting to old for this," he muttered, standing and leaving his office in silence.

---

Early morning light shone over Tokyo-3 bringing life to the damaged city for another day. Police, Firefighters, and Rescue crews scrambled in every direction doing their best to dig out those trapped under debris and rubble left in the aftermath of the Angel's attack against the city. A large armored vehicle moved between the busy uniforms heading in the direction of the geo-front.

"I can't believe all the damage the Unit-1's brain case withstood, I'm surprised it wasn't liquefied, I kind of feel sorry for Rei, her cerebellum must have taken a lot of stress," Ritsuko stated, looking up from the file in her lap.

"Her cerebellum? Don't you mean her heart?" Misato questioned, turning to face her friend. She shrugged and went to looking over her files.

"We're here," Misato stated, bringing the vehicle to a stop.

"Ritsuko, Misato, just the two I was looking for!" A voice called from out side.

"Oh, God not him," Misato groaned, yet she smiled as the owner of the voice neared the truck.

"What do you have against Nicholai anyway?"

"Well lets see, he's cocky, annoying, and let's not forget that I out rank him, but he makes more money then I do," She listed, using her fingertips as a guide.

"He also saved your life," Ritsuko added. "If it wasn't for him, you'd be dead in a ditch, literally." The two exited the truck, and went to meet the head of the weapons department.

"If you'd be so kind as to follow me ladies, I'm sure you'll find what I have to show you is of great interest," Nicholai stated as the two approached him. Turning, he lead them down to one of the many tents that had been set up in the center of the crater were the Angel had self-destructed. The inside of the tent was fairly simple, a desk sat off towards the back of it with a single lamp set on top of it and several files and rolls of blue prints. In the center of the tent stood a conference table surrounded by chairs, and covered with a large map of Tokyo-3.

"We are here," he pointed to the large red circle on the map. He walked over to the desk and picked up some of the blue prints and laid them out on the table.

"These are designs for automated defensive structures, as you probably saw outside we've started construction on several of them, upon completion they will be loaded with mortar shells and other anti-personnel weaponry. We also will be setting up armory buildings that will be housing weapons for the Evas in combat and several umbilical stations, all of which are represented by the x's here on the map. Everything should be finished by the end of next week and then the city will be able to defend its self if another Angel shows up."

"Impressive," Misato stated letting out a long whistle.

"And just how much is this going to cost us? In case you haven't noticed we're already stretching the funding the UN has given us."

"Surprisingly we're under budget so I don't think we have to worry about much right now Doctor." The ringing of a cell phone prevented anyone else from speaking and Ritsuko began to root through her pockets.

"Hello?"

"Speaking."

"Yes I have them."

"Okay I'll let them know.

"Yes I'm bringing them. Okay, thank you," she sighed in annoyance and hung up the phone.

"I've just been told that Rei's woken up, I have to get back to headquarters and deliver these files to the Sub-Commander, and so I should probably be going. Do you think you can stay here Misato or do you want me to give you a ride to the hospital?"

"I'm almost finished here so I could give her a ride, besides I'd like to meet the Commander's daughter myself," Nicholai offered. Misato looked between the two for a moment; she shrugged one shoulder and headed out of the tent.

"Thanks Ritsuko, but I think I'll wait for Nicholai to finish, I wanted to talk to him for a few minutes anyway."

"Suit your self," she replied, and she walked out of the tent towards the truck. "Talk to you later guys." Nicholai stared at Misato in confusion. She smiled and walked away.

"I'll be by the cars," she called over her shoulder leaving the weapons technician in stunned silence.

---

"Where am I?"

"You are here."

"Where is here, who are you?"

"This is your mind. I am you; you are me, the flesh of my flesh."

"I'm in my head, am I dreaming?"

"What are dreams, but your subconscious speaking through you?"

"Where are you, let me see you!" Rei called out. A light appeared in the dark expanse accompanied by the sounds of approaching footsteps. The light stop moving and faded out, the darkness around her shifted in vivid images. Rei found her self-standing in the middle of a park over looking a beach.

"This place, I've been here before."

"It is a memory, one of your first," a voice spoke from behind. She spun around, and she gasped at what she saw. Before her stood her father just the way she had remembered him from when she was a child.

"Dad!" She called out, running to him with open arms.

"God, I've missed you so much," she cried, throwing her arms around him and burying her face into his chest. She felt his strong hands drawing her into a comforting embrace just as he had done when she was a little girl and felt safe and loved.

"As I have of you, but I'm here now and we will be together forever." Rei looked down and gasped, his arms had become violet snakes that began to tighten their grip on her. She looked up at him and screamed it was no longer the warm, smiling face of her father she was looking into, but the grinning, armored, demonic visage of Unit-1.

"Stay with me," it moaned. "Stay with me forever!"

"No!" Rei shrieked struggling in it's vice like grip. "Let me go!" Her eyes snapped open and she sat up still screaming, a cold sweat running down her face. Shuddering, she lay back down and pulled the sheet tighter around her. The words of the Eva still echoing in her mind.

"We will be together forever."

---

"Just out of curiosity why did you decide to come with me?" Nicholai question as they pulled into a parking space out side of the hospital.

"You saved my life so I figured I had to do something to pay you back, but don't expect me to be nice to you for very long, I still don't like you," Misato replied stepping out of the car.

"That's all I wanted to know," he stated, the two entering the complex.

"Excuse me," Misato began, approaching the reception desk. "We're here to pick up Rei Ikari; could you tell us what room she's in?"

"Are you her parents?" The secretary questioned.

"What!?" Misato snapped, annoyed. "Do I look like I'm old enough to be her mother, her sister maybe, but not her mother!" Nicholai shook his head in embarrassed by his co-worker's outburst.

"We work for NERV, we're here to escort her back to HQ for debriefing," He stated.

"I'll need to see some ID." Nicholai reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, handing the receptionist the silver and crimson card. Misato dug frantically through the pockets of her uniform, but to no avail.

"I must have left my card in your car, just give me a minute so I can go get it."

"I'm sorry miss, but I can't let you in with out ID."

"Just wait here Misato and I'll go get her," Nicholai said.

"Fine!" She grumbled, not looking too happy about it.

"What room did you say she was in?"

"406, that's on the 3rd floor, the elevators are right down the hall to your left."

"Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back."

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry up," Misato grumbled, sitting down on one of the benches in the reception area. Nicholai thanked the secretary and headed down the hall, boarding one of the elevators. The third floor was devoid of people as far as he could tell. The hall was lined with gurneys and the air stank of disinfectant and vomit. To his right were a series of doors, most of which were closed.

'Okay what room did she say it was, 406 six or 416?' He wondered making his way down the corridor and looking into the open doors for a sign of the commander's daughter. He noticed a crop of spiky black hair sticking out of the folds of a bed sheet in one of the rooms as he passed. He paused and looked back in.

"Excuse me," he spoke, standing in the doorway. The occupant rolled over facing Nicholai; a bandage similar to the one adorning Misato's forehead was wrapped around their skull.

"Oh, sorry Michael, have you seen the commander's daughter?" Michael shook his head and rolled back over. He shrugged and continued down the hall. After passing several more rooms, he came across another that was open. Poking his head in, he could see a teenaged girl with light blue hair lying in the bed in the center of the room starring up at the ceiling.

"Excuse me, is your name Rei?" The girl turned to him and nodded as she sat up.

"Hi, my name is Nicholai, I'm the head of the weapons department at NERV," he greeted, entering the room.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Alright I guess," she replied.

"Have you seen a Doctor yet?"

"No."

"Well let me go find one, and we can leave."

"Where are we going?"

"Captain Katsuragi and I are here to escort you back to NERV for your debriefing," he answered.

"How come my mother isn't here to take me?"

"The Commander had to leave on important business."

"I figured she wouldn't have come anyway," Rei muttered. Nicholai left to find a doctor to sign her out. Rei stood and walked into the bathroom. She discarded the hospital gown and dawned her LCL soaked clothes.

"Are you ready?" Nichoali asked as he walked back in. Rei nodded and followed him out. She was silent through the rest of their trip through the hospital.

"It's about time," a violet haired woman exclaimed as they approached her.

"Rei, this is Captain Katsuragi, she's the head of NERV's tactical division," Nicholai explained, gesturing to Misato.

"Hi Rei, nice to meet you. Sorry about not picking you up when I was supposed to, but as you can see I got a little sidetracked," she greeted, pointing to the bandage wrapped around her head. Nicholai looked down at his watch.

"We should probably get going," he announced. Misato nodded and the trio made their way out of the hospital.

---

"Can you tell me what you remember about your fight with the angel?" Sub-commander Fuyutsuki interrogated.

"I remember being forced into the Entry plug and told how to pilot the Eva."

"Anything else?"

"The Angel hurting me and my mom saying that I was about to die and that I'm useless. The rest is just a blurr," Rei answered. The Sub-commander nodded, jotting several things down in the file before him.

"That will be all thank you," said Fuyutsuki, leading her out of the office. Nicholai stood across the hall propped up against the wall, Misato paced back and forth in front of the office door.

"Captain Katsuragi will escort you to your living arrangements, here is your key," The Sub-commander stated, handing Rei a key.

"Am I going to be living with my mother?"

"No, the commander thought it best if you lived by your self."

"Sir, do you think it is wise to let her live by her self?" Misato inquired.

"It's alright, I don't mind living alone."

"No offense Rei, but I don't think you would last five minutes alone out there."

"What are you suggesting Captain?"

"I think she needs a female role model to live with, someone to teach her how to survive in this city."

"I can arrange her to move into your apartment Captain," Kozo stated.

"W-what?" Misato sputtered. "That's not what I meant; I thought she could move in with Maya."

"Maya," Nicholai laughed. "Come on, the girl has shorter hair then I do, she's about as far away from being a female role model as I am."

"Well since you seem so interested in Rei's living arrangements then she can stay with you."

"Would that be appropriate Sub-commander? I mean she is a girl."

"What does me being a girl have to do with anything?" Nicholai looked at her in disbelief. 'Maybe she should live with me, there's a lot she needs to learn,' Nicholai thought.

"Very well then Sub-commander, well what do you say Rei, want to live with me?"

"I guess, are you sure you want to have me?"

"No problem, just let me call my subordinates and let them know I'm leaving," Nichoali said dismissively, pulling out his cell phone and waiting a few moments.

"Saske, it's me I'm leaving so you're in charge."

"Because I'm taking the commander's daughter home with me."

"No you sick bastard I just volunteered to let her live with me."

"No you can't put the moves on her. Maybe we should talk about this later."

"No, not at my place!" Nichoali shut off the phone before the disturbing conversation could go any farther.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "Hey how 'bout we go get some stuff for a party?"

"What kind of party?"

"A welcome home party for you," he explained as they made their way out to the parking lot.

"Was that wise Sub-commander?" Misato questioned.

"It seems so," he replied, stepping back into his office. 'I'm getting to old for this.'

---

Rei stood beside Nicholai as he loaded the contents of the shopping cart on the checkout counter. She looked up from the magazine she was reading at the few other occupants in the store.

"Can you believe how many people left?" She heard one of the women in front of them say.

"Well I'm not surprised, not with all that's been happening here," her friend replied.

"How so?"

"Well first it was that giant monster that they're calling an Angel that attack and then that giant robot. That thing did just as much damage as the monster. I can't believe the pilot was so reckless, someone could have gotten killed. What I'm wondering is they find these people." Rei sighed and looked down back at her magazine, the woman's words pulling at her heart. She had almost died protecting them and all they had to say was how reckless she was, they were all ungrateful.

"Hey, do you mind if we make one more stop?" Nicholai asked as they headed out towards the car.

"Alright." A few minutes later Nicholas pulled up into a small alcove looking over the city.

"So this is Tokyo-3?" Rei asked, stepping out of the car and looking out at the bleak appearance of the city.

"Just wait." As if on cue a series of massive buildings rose up from the ground, dominating the sky line. "This is the city you saved, a fortress for all humanity, Tokyo-3."

"It's beautiful," Rei mumured at the sight of the sun's twilight glittering off the massive steel structures. They stood in silence for a few more moments before getting back into the car and leaving. They arrived a sort time later at a large whearhouse in a shanty looking part of the city.

"You live in a warehouse?"

"Above it actually, I do most of my work on the Eva's weapons systems here if not at NERV," he explained. The inside of the warehouse was enormous. To the right several crates where neatly stacked reaching close to the ceiling. An office area was set up in the far left corner consisting of a computer, a workbench and two filing cabinets. On the far wall in the back a flight of stairs went up to a door that most likely leads to the living quarters. In the center of the room stood a large, tarp covered object.

"What's that?" She inquired, pointing to object.

"That is my latest project," he explained, pulling off the tarp and revealing a massive knife the size of Eighteen-wheeler. "I call it a progressive knife; it produces high powered ultrasonic frequencies which allow it to cut through almost anything. When I'm finished, it's going to be the standard weapon for the Evangelions."

"Do you come up with these deigns your self?"

"Most of them, but it's really team effort, without the others in the weapons department I wouldn't be here." Rei nodded in understanding, adverting her gaze back to the gigantic blade.

"Since you'll be living here, I guess I should give you the grand tour," Nicholai exclaimed suddenly. Rei shrugged and followed him as he made his way up the stairs in the back. Nicholai slipped his keys into the lock on the door and pushed it open. He turned around, noticing Rei had not moved from her position at the top of the landing.

"You can come in you know."

"I don't want to intrude," she replied meekly.

"You're not; this is your home now too." Rei took a timid step into the entrance hall.

"I'm, I'm home."

"Welcome home!" Nicholai turned and lead her down the hall and into the living room. Rei's eyes widened in shock, the room was so clean that it was disturbing.

"As you can see this is the living room," Nicholai announced, stating the obvious. He looked down at his charge, noticing her shocked expression.

"To clean?" She nodded.

"I'm not usually home so I don't really have a chance to make things messy, and in what little free time I do have I clean, force of habit I guess," he explained. "Anyway on to the rest of the tour!" He led her into another hall, this one lined with doors.

"That's my room to the left of you; just knock before going in if I'm in there." The duo stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall.

"This is where you'll be staying," he stated sliding the door open and flicking on the light. A modest looking bed was set up in the corner next to the window. A desk with a small reading lamp stood against the far wall along with a dresser.

"I know it's not much, but you can decorate it however you want. That reminds me, your stuff should be here in a little while." He closed the door and the two left.

"What's this door here?" Rei asked as they made their way back to the living room.

"That's the bathroom, shower/tub, toilet, sink, standard stuff. Hey, are you hungry? We're heading towards the kitchen anyway." Rei nodded, remembering that she had not eaten since the day before. Nicholai lead her into the kitchen which was just as freakishly clean as the living room. Rei sat down as he went to work with a large pot and several items of food she had never seen before. After several minutes of him fooling around with the stove, Nicholai turned and handed her a steaming bowl of some type of stew.

"I hope you like potlepka, it's kind of an acquired taste, but it's all I have right now." Rei looked down at the stew with a quizzical expression. Carefully she dipped her spoon into it and brought it up to her mouth allowing the warm broth to flow across her tongue.

"This is actually pretty good," she commented, taking another spoonful.

"Glad you enjoy it." Nicholai set another bowl down on the table, but instead of sitting down he grabbed an apple from a basket on the counter and headed off to his room. "I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder. Rei shrugged and continued eating unaware of the curious eyes watching her from above. Slowly, it moved around in a circle observing the azure haired newcomer before coming to a single conclusion, it wanted a closer look.

"I wonder where Wolf got off to," Nicholai thought as he regarded the large, topless cage that took up most of the wall before him. Suddenly a high pitched scream split the air.

"Oh." Nicholai ran from his room and into the kitchen to find his new roommate running around in circles with a large, writhing mass of fur and wings flopping around on her head.

"Get it off, get it off, get it off!" she cried.

"Rei, stop moving and hold still." Rei obeyed and stopped flailing her arms around. Calmly, Nicholai approached her and removed the offending creature from the girl's hair, relocating it to his shoulder.

"Well it looks like you already have become acquainted with Wolf."

"Wolf?" Nicholai gestured to the creature perched on his shoulder.

"She's a fruit bat, and your other roommate," He explained as he held up the apple to the bat's fox like face. Rei watched fascinated as it took the piece of fruit in its front claws and started nibbling on it.

"Why do you have a fruit bat, aren't they illegal?"

"Yes, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about her and you should see Misato, she has a warm water penguin living with her." Nicholai focused his gaze on Rei's tussled hair which now had strands of bat shed mixed in with it.

"You should probably take a bath and get the bat fur out of your hair. You can borrow some of my clothes until yours get here." Rei nodded, walking off towards the bathroom. Stripping, she pulled back the curtains, and turned on the water. When the tub finished filling she stepped in, leaning against the back of the tub and closing her eyes, allowing the cleansing water to work it's magic.

"Most people relax when taking a bath, but bad memories always seem to find me here," she thought.

"Maybe I should be nicer to her she doesn't seem to be used to living in a place like this, but she's probably already made her mind up about me," Nicholai mused as he finished his dinner.

---

Rei pulled back the covers on her bed and slid under them. Nicholai had let her borrow some of his clothes as hers had yet to arrive and she had to admit they were comfortable even though they hung off of her thin frame in a gaudy manner. Wrapping the blankets tighter around her, the young pilot pulled out her CD player and set it to play track 6. She closed her eyes letting the music soothe her.

"For so long I have felt alone, content to live with unrest, longing faded into countless nights that buried my weary heart, but you brought an end to this dead hour," blared over the head phones.

"And meaning to a calloused life held in your arms, but too far from my heart." The door to Rei's room slid open and Nicholai stood in the frame. Rei tried her best to feign sleeping, but she was sure he could tell she was awake.

"What you did yesterday was very noble, Rei, you saved alot of people, I thought you might like to know that. Goodnight, Rei." Nicholai turned and left, closing the door behind him.

"These thoughts of you will carry me through the darkest nights, while your eyes rested in mine I remember the way you looked at me and the way you drew me close." Rei squeezed her eyes tighter, Nicholai's words playing over in her mind.

"With one deep sigh, scattering pieces of my restless mind forgetting all that we left behind."

"And these thoughts of you will carry me through the darkest nights."

_: End Transmission:_

TO BE CONTINUED-


	3. Episode 3

Disclaimer: I apologize for such a long update time, but now that I'm on break I should be able to update at least once a week. Many thanks to those who have reviewed. Neon Genesis is strictly the propriety of Gainax studios. Ladies and gentlemen enjoy the show.

/Text/ German,

_Text _BGM

"Text" Words spoken or sung

'Text' Thought

-----

Episode 3: Hearts Dilemma

_:Begin Transmission:_

"Next Stop Pandemonium street station, make sure you have all luggage when exiting the train."

Rei leaned back against the seat as the trains rattled down the track, watching the sun go down through the window across the aisle. The door to the compartment opened and young man wearing a black hooded sweat shirt entered. He made his way down the aisle and sat down across from her, the hood of his sweat shirt obscuring his face.

"Hello Rei," he spoke suddenly. "It's been a long time." Rei stared curiously at the man as he pulled back his hood revealing a pair of gentle blue eyes that peered out at her from under a tangle of messy, black hair.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" The man grinned slightly, his eyes sparkling in the fading light.

"You did at one time," he replied, leaning forward. Rei studied his face intently before coming to a realization.

"Shinji?" The man smiled, nodding his head.

"Shinji!" Rei cried out, flinging her arms around her elder brother. "Shinji," she murmured, nuzzling her face in his chest.

"I'm here."

"I thought you were dead," she whispered, basking in her brother's warmth

"I am," he stated, his body grew cold. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back from him. "You killed me, me and father, you killed us both." The train entered a tunnel, plunging them into darkness. Rei struggled against Shinji's grip, eyes wide with horror as she tried to break free.

"You killed us," she heard him moan in her ear, his cold breath on her face sending chills of terror down her spine. The tunnel ended, returning light to the compartment and revealing the hideous sight before Rei. Shinji had transformed into the beast she had fought in the Eva, his blue eyes starring out at her from its empty sockets. Where its core used to be, the head of Eva-1 now rested, the face of her father protruding from its mouth.

"It was your fault we died," the monstrosity moaned, its talons digging into the flesh of her shoulders. "You killed us and now you will become one with us!"

"No!" she cried out in despair. "No!" She bolted up right, still screaming, a cold sweat running down her face.

"Rei!" She looked up as the bedroom door slid open and Nicholai rushed in. She stared at him blankly as he approached a look of worry plastered on his face.

"Rei?" He questioned, placing his hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him and flung her arms around him, sobbing uncontrolably.

"Shhh, it's alright Rei, it was only a nightmare, it's over," Nicholai said gently, trying to soothe the hysterical teen. "I'm here now; everything's going to be alright."

-----

"I'm starting to worry about Rei, she's been having these really bad nightmares lately and she seems so sad, she's hardly said anything since she's been here," Nicholai spoke over the phone, rubbing his temples.

"It's not surprising after what she went through in the Eva just give her some time, I'm sure she'll warm up eventually," Ritsuko responded.

"And it's not just that you know? I gave her a cell phone when she started school and no one's called her, I mean she's a teenager, I'd figure she would have tons of friends by now."

"Some people take awhile to make friends, besides she's there to learn not socialize."

"You must have had a lonely time in high school with an attitude like that Ritsuko."

"On the contrary I had lots of friends through high school and college, I was very popular."

"Do you know what else bothers me?"

"What's that?" the Dr. inquired.

"She lived with her aunt and uncle most of her life you would think that they would have called to check up on her now and then, but not a single call like they don't want anything to do with her."

"I wouldn't put to much thought in it Nick, just give her a while to adjust, after all they say time heals all wounds," Ritsuko stated.

"I'm not so sure on that one Ritz, but I guess your right, thanks."

"I'll see you at work tomorrow Nicholai, goodbye."

"Yeah, bye." Nicholai hung up the phone and sighed. He turned to a photograph on the mantle beside him. In it Nicholai stood with his arms around a blonde haired man in a white lab coat.

"I could really use your help right now dad, why'd you have to go?"

------

"And so while mankind has always praised the maturation of culture that comes with the advancement of technology the time came when all was reduced to ashes," the teacher droned on. Rei rested her head on her hands tuning out the lecture as she drifted into her own thoughts. Her eyes floated across the room until they landed on Michael. He sat with the back of his head facing her as he starred blankly out the window. Bandages adorned his head and right arm.

'He got hurt protecting me, I don't even know him, but he was willing to risk his life for mine, why?' She wondered as she continued to stare at him. Nicholai had told her that he lived across the street from them, but she had never seen him outside. 'I don't even know his last name, does he have one?'

"It was in the last year of the twentieth century that a giant meteor struck the continent of Antarctica completely vaporizing it and raising the sea level by 60 meters, the world was assaulted by drought and floods and consumed by economic panic, this event has been come to be known as Second Impact," the instructor continued, snapping Rei out of her thoughts. Rei regarded Michael with one last look before Turing to face the front of the room again.

'He seems so lonely; I just wish he would say something.'

-----

"Hey Ikari, got a minute?" Rei looked up at a girl with blonde hair pulled into a pony tail.

"How come you transferred here when people are starting to evacuate?" Rei stared at her blankly.

"So the rumor's true then isn't it?"

"What rumor?"

"Don't play dumb, the rumor that you're the pilot of that giant robot!" Another girl snapped.

"Well is it true?"

"Yeah...it's...true."

"Oh my god I knew it!" The first one cried out.

"Hey everyone it's true, she was the pilot of the robot!" A boy next to her called out. Suddenly the whole class was on her.

That's so cool, how did they choose you?"

"Was there some kind of test?"

"Weren't you scared?"

"Does it have some kind of special attack?"

"Special attack? I don't know."

"At least tell us what that thing you were fighting was, is it some other countries secret weapon?" The blonde girl question fearfully.

"I don't know that either, they called it an Angel, but no one seemed to know what it really was," Rei answered, the image of the creature from her dreams flashing in her mind.

"You think yer all dat don't ya, but yer not ya don't know nothin'," a gruff voice growled from the doorway.

"You missed a whole week with out permission Suzaharah," the class rep. stated as the boy walked in.

"It ain't none of yer concern so shaddap!" He snapped back, stepping up to Rei's desk and slamming his hands down on it. "Yo new girl, I want to talk to you outside now!"

-----

Rei shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun as she stepped out side into the schools court yard, the boy in the tack suit a few feet in front of her.

"Alright new girl listen up!" He growled, turning to face her. "My kid sister was hurt bad, she's still in the hospital." Rei stared at him, curious as to why he was telling her this.

"My dad and my gramps work in your lab and I'm da only one who can stay with her!"

"Why are you telling me this?" Rei questioned, not understanding why she was dragged out here to here this guys problems.

"I'm telling you dis' because it's yer god damn fault!" He roared point viciously at her face. "She was pinned under rubble because you had ta go crashin' around!" Rei's eyes widened in shock at the news.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Are you tryin' ta make fun of me?! Sorry just don't cut it!"

"Hey Toji cut it out!" A brown haired, bespectacled boy called out latching onto his enraged friend's arm.

"Well what do you want me to do, beg your family for forgiveness?" She asked softly. Toji pulled free from his friend's grasp and brought his hand back, slapping Rei in the face and sending her to the ground.

"What the hell's the matter with you Toji you can't go slapping girls like that!" Rei stared up at him in shock, bringing her hand to the side of her stinging face.

"What, you want a piece of me? Come get some!" Toji roared at the injured girl.

"Can I ask you something?" Rei inquired softly, bringing pause to Toji's rage. "Don't you get tired of being so angry all the time?" Toji's eyes widened before narrowing into slits.

"YOU BITCH!! I'm drawin' da line right here!" He screamed struggling against his friend's hold in order to get to Rei.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" A female voice called out, stopping Toji in his tracks.

"Damn it, dey just hadda butt in!" Toji muttered.

"Listen up slut! A little advice," He snapped during back to Rei. "Next time yer inna fight watch where ya put yer fuckin' feet! Got dat?! Geddoffa me, Kensuke," Toji snarled, elbowing his friend in the stomach. From the balcony outside of the classroom, Michael watched the scene come to an end before turning away.

-----

"Hey Rei, how's it going?" Misato's voice questioned over the intercom.

"Well I believe I've gotten used to Basic Maneuvering," Rei replied.

"No, not that I meant school."

"Oh... you know school is just school you know," Rei stated, traces of sadness evident in her voice.

"If you say so, are you ready for today's training?"

"I think so."

"The locations to the Eva exit gates, power terminals, armed buildings, and recovery sights, have you got them all memorized?" Misato inquired.

"Yes."

"We'll pick up where we left off yesterday. Start induction mode!" Ritsuko typed in a few commands and the battery clock began to count down. Rei willed the Eva to pick up the oversized automatic rifle and leveled it, firing a volley at the mock Angel.

"Relax Rei, center the target," Misato instructed over the COM link as the shots missed their mark. "Here comes the next one!"

"I wonder how they convinced Rei to get back in the Eva?" Ritsuko wondered out loud.

"What do you mean?"

"Nicholai's been telling me about these nightmares Rei's had ever since her experience in the Eva," Ritsuko explained.

"Do you think it's the Eva that's causing them?"

"I'm not sure, that's what bother's me, what do you think?"

"Maybe this is the only place she has left to go."

'I wonder when it all started, the wandering.' Rei thought, pulling the trigger on the butterfly controls. 'It's like my mind and body are coming apart. Every time something bad happens it's like there's another me watching it as if it's happening to someone else, thinking 'that's not me'.' Her mind drifted to an image of Toji slapping her in the face.

'That's alright I guess, maybe if I lock my heart even deeper away I won't have to feel any of the hurt, I won't have to feel anything at all.' The volley found its mark and exploded bringing the dummy Angel crashing to the ground.

-----

"Nicholai! I'm home!" Rei called out as she entered the apartment with a large bag of grorcries in arm and kicking off her shoes. Looking around she saw a note taped to the wall next to the door.

"Rei, I had to work late tonight, there's some food in the fridge just heat it up when you're hungry, Nicholai," it read. Rei sighed, another lonely night. Looking down she noticed Wolf crawling on the floor towards her.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to something as weird as you," Rei deadpanned as the bat looked up at her curiously. A package of dried fruit slipped from the bag in Rei's arms and Wolf jumped, grabbing the falling package in her feet before flapping off in the direction of Nicholai's room.

"Hey, get back here, I didn't buy that for you!" Rei shouted giving chase. Frowning, Rei stuck her head in the doorway, glaring at the bat as it buried its muzzle in the open container.

"Why does Nichoali keep such a weird creature like you around anyway?" She questioned snatching the package from Wolf's claws. 'Then again the owner is quite strange himself,' she thought glancing at the cornucopia of technical, band, and car posters that littered the walls of the uber clean room. Rei paused as her eyes came across a notebook with the Label 'Project-E Supervision Record' lying on the desk across the room. Carefully she picked it up and opened it to the first page.

"Uncomfortably hot. Subject had large bruise on her right cheek after an encounter with Suzahara Toji (age 14). Will not regard this as a problem until intelligence can gather further information on the cause of the incident," it read. Rei's eyes widened in shock as she closed the book and replaced it. Closing the door behind her she made her way to her room and collapsed on the bed.

'Is the only reason why Nichoali let me live here is so he can keep an eye on me?' She wondered, burying her face in her pillow. 'Does he even care about me or am I just a responsibility?' Sighing she rolled over on her back, starring up at the ceiling. 'But why should anyone care for me, I'm just a pilot to them. As long as I kill the bad guys their happy right? But I'm not happy; would I be better off dead, why should I care?' Tears streamed from her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.

-----

The sun glared down on the back of Rei's head as she looked out across the grounds from her perch on the school's roof top.

"Up on the roof top all by her self, da' pitcher of da sad heroine!" Rei turned around in surprise to see Toji glaring at her with Kensuke at his side.

"You guys again, what do you want with me now?" She questioned.

"Stupid, wat makes ya think we'd want anythin' from you?!"

"Right, you must be really bored to check up on me for no reason then," She replied, turning back to scenery below.

"I may not have a reason to be checkin' up on ya," Toji growled, his fist shaking. "But one things for sure, I hate yer guts!"

"So you just came up here to pick another fight with me?" Rei asked.

"Don't be givin' me that attitude of yer's," Toji snapped.

"If you don't like my attitude then I apologize, but it's over after that, I can't keep worrying about what you think of me." Toji starred at her, confusion and surprise mixing together on his face. Rei grabbed her bag and began to head back towards the staircase.

"Hey," Toji called out to her. "You can't just walk away like that!"

"You want to slap me again?" She asked, turning around and facing the two boys. "That's alright with me, but don't hold back this time. If you want you can even push me off this roof."

"FINE!" Toji roared grabbing Rei by the front of her uniform and yanking her off the ground. "But remember you asked for it!"

"Toji knock it off!" Kensuke cried, trying to pull his friend off of Rei.

"Ikari," a monotone voice spoke. Turing their heads, the trio noticed Michael approaching them. "We just received an emergency dispatch call; I'll meet at the cages." He turned and made his way back to the stairs.

"Michael hang on, I'm coming with you!" Rei called as she pulled free from Toji's grasp and ran after him. The two boys starred blankly as the two disappeared down the flight of stairs.

"I believe she managed to slip out of that one," Kensuke observed adjusting his glasses.

"SHUTUP!"

-----

Shamshiel glided gracefully across the waters surface making its way ever closer to the lillim city. The lillim would pay for the destruction of its love, they would all pay. Its message would be delivered and with it the destruction of those who had turned their back on the holy lord and tried to make him their toy. They would burn, every last one of them would burn, she would see to that. In the mind of the beast one single thought flowed through its ponderous consciousness, 'Hell hath no fury.'

----

"Visual Conformation! The target is now entering controlled airspace!" Lt. Hyuga called from his station, the image of a giant, violet hued creature resembiling a flying centipede displayed on the screen before the bridge.

"All personnel prepare for level one combat!" Misato ordered.

"Tokyo-3 now transforming to battle configuration, armament buildings and air intercept systems currently at 48 deployment."

"Rei, are you ready?" The captain questioned over the intercom.

"Yes."

"So the Angels have decided to attack while the commander is away, this is sooner then we expected," Nicholai observed.

"There was no sign of them for fifteen years before the last attack and now only three weeks have passed!" Makato stated.

"It's like they never stopped to consider my convenience, frankly their the kind women hate," Misato muttered.

"Would you rather have had them call ahead?" Nicholai replied, keying in several commands on Hyuga's counsel. On screen one of the buildings split open revealing several ground to air missile launchers supported by trolley mounted mortar guns. The weapons discharged, impacting the Angel with no effect.

"That was a waste of taxpayers' money," the Sub-commander deadpanned as the Angel plowed into several buildings in an attempt to escape from the weapons fire.

"Captain Katsuragi, the Committee is demanding the immediate dispatch of the Eva!" Lt. Aoba called out.

"I wish they would get off my case already, I was going to launch it anyway," she muttered.

-----

"At noon today a state of emergency was declared for the entire Kanto District, centering on the Tokai region. Please stay tuned for updates."

"God damn it, they're doing it again," Kensuke groaned.

"Doin' what?" Toji questioned.

"See for yourself," Kensuke replied, handing his friend the video camera.

"You really get off on dis' stuff don't huh?" Toji asked.

"This is such a big event, I just got to see it, and we may never get a chance like this!" Toji stared at his bespectacled friend with raised eyebrows.

"Hey Toji!"

"What?"

"Let's sneak out."

"Are you insane? We'll get killed for sure!"

"Jeez, keep your voice down." Kensuke snapped. "That could happen even if we stay here, besides don't you have an obligation to at least watch the battle?"

"What's dat supposed ta mean?"

"That robot of her's protected us all in that last fight, man, you didn't even think about that before you slapped her, don't you think you at least owe her one?" Toji glared at his friend, his words sinking in.

"You're a real slave ta your desires ain't cha?"

"Whatever you say, but it sounds to me like you're starting to feel bad about hitting her."

"I'll show you feelin' bad man!" Toji roared shaking his fist.

"Hey class Rep, we have to go to the bathroom," Kensuke said, slapping his hand over Toji's mouth and stunting his tirade.

"Well you'd better hurry it up." Kensuke nodded and motioned for Toji to follow him, the two disappearing down the hall.

-----

"Alright Rei, neutralize the enemy's A.T field, then fire just like in practice got it?" Ritsuko instructed over the intercom.

"Yes ma'am."

"Eva-1 launch!" The catapult activated, hurling the mecha towards the surface.

-----

"Hey Kensuke, wait up, you're going to fast," Toji called after his friend as they ran up the side of the hill. Kensuke burst through a clump of bushes and stopped. Crouching down, he pulled out his camera.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed. "Here it comes!" The duo starred out at the city below, watching as Shamshel slowly glided into view. The beast paused before reeling up right, its front appendages uncurling.

"It was worth all the hassle to sneak out here for this," Kensuke cried out, tears of joy leaking from his eyes.

'That's an Angel?' Toji wondered. The side of the building across from the Angel slide open revealing the Eva. Unit-1 leaped out of the elevator, leveled the pallet rifle, and opened fire on the Angel. Round after round made contact with the messenger's AT field, kicking up dust as they did.

"Idiot! You can't see the target through all that smoke!" Nicholai shouted.

_She'll come to her end locked in a car somewhere with exhaust in her hair _

"Rei, you have to calm down, stop firing," Misato ordered. Rei's grip on the trigger loosened; smoke issuing from the barrel of the spent weapon. From within the cloud of dust twin whips of pure energy lashed out at the Eva. Dodging the attack, Unit-1 dove behind one of the unrestricted buildings, the whips cleaving the uppermost stories off with ease. Unit-1 stood as the messenger of the day attack once again, destroying the rest of the Eva's cover. Rei willed Unit-1 to jump, the whips shooting out at the violet mecha's legs. Shamshel reared back and slammed its upper half into the Eva, forcing it into a cluster of buildings behind it.

_What's she called? I dunno she's fucking with a slip of a man while the engine ran.  
_

"She's gettin' thrashed out there," Toji shouted.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's just getting warmed up," Kensuke assured.

"Rei, I'm sending up a spare rifle, grab it!" Misato ordered. A loud thunk issued from a building behind the Eva. Unit-1 rolled over as Shamshel's whips lashed out, impacting the ground where the Eva once was. The Eva stood and made a mad dash for the spare weapon. Grabbing it, Uint-1 spun around and opened fire on the Angel once more. The shots pierced the Angel's AT field impacting on its purple carapace. Unit-1 approached the Angel firing off another volley as it drew nearer. Shamshel grabbed the Eva around the foot and pulled its legs out from under it, bringing the violet mecha crashing to the ground. Rei pulled the trigger in surprise, the last few shots going wild and leveling several of the surrounding buildings. Shamshel lifted the Eva off the ground and hurled it through the air severing the umbilical cable.

_And he said "She's not dead she's gone away gone away" he said_

"Umbilical cable severed, the Eva has switched over to internal batteries," Lt. Ibuki cried out from her station.

"Incomin'!" Toji yelled, the air borne Eva descending towards them.

"GYAAAAAAAAH!!!" The Eva impacted the ground heavily, leveling the hillside temple.

"Rei! Are you alright?" Nicholai called.

"Damage report?!" Misato questioned.

"None, all green!" Maya answered.

"Uh," Rei moaned, rubbing her injured head. Looking out the side view port, her eyes widened in shock. In between the middle and index finger of Unit-1's left hand, Toji and Kensuke sat curled in a ball, their fear stricken faces covered in sweat.

"Those are Rei's classmates!" Misato exclaimed, the teens' files appearing on a screen next to her.

"What the hell are they doing out there!?" Misato turned back to the main screen, her eyes wide in shock.

"Rei, you have to get up now!" Shamshel hovered ominously over the fallen mecha.

_He said "She's not dead just go away go away" he said._

"Hurry!" The messenger's whips flew out to deliver the finishing blow. The Eva reached out and grabbed the writhing masses of pure energy, intercepting them before they could cause any damage.

"Surfaces in contact with the target are melting!" Lt. Ibuki alerted.

"Why doesn't she just get clear?" Toji questioned, watching as the Eva struggled against the beast.

"Because we're here, if she moves we're dead!"

"Unit-1's active remaining time 3 minutes!"

"Rei fall back now, just concentrate on getting up."

'Easy for you to say, Rei thought glancing out the side view. "If I screw up and crush those two." She watched the two's fear stricken faces in concern.

"What am I going to do?" She pulled back on one of the controls, the back of the Eva's neck opened and the Entry Plug slide out.

"Rei, what are you doing?!" Misato questioned in shock.

_In the car he couldn't afford they found his made up name on her ankle chain._

"You two get in now!" Rei ordered over the loud speaker.

"Hey, she said ta get in dat thing!"

"Let's go!"

"Wait a second; you can't just let unauthorized civilians in the Entry Plug!" The two boys climbed onto the side of the plug and jumped in.

"What da hell!"

"Why is there water in here?"

"Can you guys be quiet, you're distracting me."

"What'd you say!" Toji snarled shaking his fist at Rei.

_So don't call don't call her at home she's fucking with a slip of a man while the engine ran. _

"We're detecting irregularities in the nervous system!" Maya called.

"It's because she's taken on two foreign bodies, they're interfering with the nerve pulses," Ritsuko explained.

"You're supposed to ask me for orders!" Misato shouted. "You had a number of other options."

"Damnit!" Rei muttered, struggling to keep the Angel's whips from making contact with the rest of the mecha. Bringing Unit-1's foot under the monstrosities body, she forced it up and back, crashing to the ground at the edge of the city. Unit-1 stood, its melted hands still smoldering.

"Rei, fall back, that's an order, use retrieval route 34 to the back of the mountain. Rei willed the mecha forward towards the fallen Angel.

"Yo Ikari, what are you doin' she's tellin' ya ta fall back!?"

"I'm not going back; I'm not running away for anyone."

"What are you talkin' about, this ain't a time fer da attitude," Toji growled rapping Rei in the skull with his knuckle. Rei pulled a switch on the controls opening the left shoulder pylon and drawing the progressive knife prototype.

"Progressive knife has been drawn!" Lt. Hyuga alerted.

"What!?"

"It looks like Rei decided to give me toy its first field test," said Nicholai with a slight grin.

"Rei follow my orders, fall back now damnit!" Misato roared. With a cry of fury, Rei charged the messenger of the day as it stood, the oversized dagger vibrating in the Eva's damaged hands.  
"Oh, god have mercy, please I don't want to die!" Toji and Kensuke whimpered in unison as Unit-1 continued its wild charge.

"AAARRAAGGH!!" Rei screamed as the Angel's whips shot out and pierced Unit-1's body.

_And he said "She's not dead, she's gone away gone away" he said ._

"No stop I can't take it anymore!" Toji cried.

"Yaaah!" Rei roared, ramming the knife into the Angel's core.

"Unit-1 active time remaining, 28 seconds," Maya called from her station. On screen violent flashes of light emitted from the beasts shattered core.

"27, 26, 25, 24."

"Just what the hell where you thinking by pulling this Rei?" Misato wondered. Rei grunted with pain and effort as she forced the knife deeper into the Angel, its tentacles wiggling around violently within the Eva's body.

"Ten seconds to total shutdown, 9, 8, 7, 6."

"Unnnhh!" Rei moaned in pain.He said

_"She's not dead, she's gone away gone away" he said "Just gone away gone away" he said.  
_

"Five seconds, 4, 3, 2, 1 ,0." The light from the Angel's core faded, the whips phasing out of existence leaving two gaping wounds in the Eva's lower torso.

"Eva Unit-1 is completely inactive!" Maya reported.

"The target?" Misato questioned.

"Target is quiet, no sign of activity ma'am," Shigeru replied. Rei slumped forward in her seat breathing heavily, sweat running down her face.

"Hey, Ikari, you alright?" questioned a worried Toji.

"I'm alright, I'll be fine," She replied, burying her face in her hands sobbing. Toji looked on at her, genuine concern imposed on his features.

_She's gone away to someone else's bed._

"Ikari?"

_End Transmission:_

TO BE CONTINUED-


	4. episode 4

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis is the copyrighted trademark of Gainax studios. Review or flame it's your choice to make. Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the show.

/Text/ German

_Text_ BGM

"Text" Words spoken or sung

'Text' Thought

-------

Episode 4: Sick and Alone

_: Begin Transmission:_

"This is just great," Rei groaned. "How did I manage to get detention?" She sighed, hitting her head against her desk in aggravation. Outside the sun was slowly beginning to set, the majority of the students having already gone home.

"Well well ain't dis' a pleasant surprise," a gruff voice spoke. Rei looked up noticing Toji starring down at her with a demented grin on his face.

"Now how did miss goody goody end up in detention?" He questioned leaning down inches from her face, his grin growing wider.

"How should I know, I'm just here," she replied looking out the window. 'Why won't this guy go away?'

"Hey, look at me when I'm talkin' ta ya!" He snapped, grabbing her head and forcing her to look at him. "Stand up!"

"What?"

"You heard me, I said stand up!" She pushed her chair back and stood, looking the boy in the face. She shivered slightly as she felt his eyes roam over her body. He stepped forward his grin morphing into a sardonic smile. Rei moved away from him backing herself into the wall.

"Ain't no where ta go bitch," he snarled advancing even closer. Rei's eyes darted around searching desperatly for a way to escape Panicking, Rei swung out her fist in an attempt to fend the boy off. The jock caught the attack with ease, slamming her hand against the wall. She winced in pain, her other hand receiving the same fate effectively pinning her to the wall. Rei kicked out catching him in the stomach, but he ignored the blow. Leaning forward he crushed his lips against her's. She gaged in revulsion as he forced his tongue into her mouth. With a satisfied smirk he pulled back, caressing the side of the frightened girls face. Toji reached up and grabbed the collar of Rei's shirt, tearing off the front of her uniform and exposing her naked chest.

"No!" She cried, squirming in his grip unable to break free. She watched in horror as he eyed her breasts hungrily.

"Rei!" She heard a voice call out to her. "Rei wake up!" Rei's eyes snapped open franticly scanning the room. Her gaze landed on Nicholai who starred at her in concern. Rei screamed in terror and swung her hand out caching him in the eye and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Oh, god, Nicholai are you alright?" She questioned, realizing what she had done.

"I'm fine, but this is really getting out of hand," he answered from his position on the ground holding his eye. "Get dressed; we're going to go see Dr. Akagi."_  
_

-------__"Nice shiner." Nicholai turned, watching as Misato approached him. "Coffee?" He took the cup offered to him and turned back to glass window.

"So how is she?"

"Not sure," he answered, watching with heavy eyes as Dr. Akagi tested Rei in the next room. "But her nightmares are getting even worse."

"What do you think is causing them?"

"I don't know, that's why we're here, but I'm sure you chewing her out yesterday didn't help."

"Well what was I supposed to do?" She questioned defensively, thinking back to the argument she had with the girl after the Angel battle. "She disobeyed a direct order and let two unauthorized civilians in the Entry Plug."

"You can't really blame her you know, she was only doing what she thought was right." The two fell silent, the doctor continuing her examination in the stark white room beyond the window.

"I need your advice on something," Nicholai spoke suddenly.

"What?"

"Rei's been acting really weird lately, she's angry about almost everything, and every time I try to help she either clams up or just pushes me farther away," he explained.

"A lot of teenaged girls go through this phase; it's their way of accepting you."

"I know how teenaged girls act, but this is a lot different, she found the report I wrote and now she's got it in her head that I don't care about her."

"I see," Misato paused. "Hedgehogs Dilemma."

"What?"

"The Hedgehogs Dilemma," the captain reiterated. "A Hedgehog is covered in spines, but they're incredibly social, when they mate their spines go deeper into each other the closer they get."

"Rei's a Hedgehog?"

"In a way, she's been hurt so much before in the past that she's afraid of getting close to people because they might hurt her again," She explained.

"So by me attempting to understand her, I'm only managing to push her away even further?"

"Yes, so my advice is to keep it slow, let her get closer to you instead of the other way around." Ritsuko walked out of the door into the hallway, ending the conversation.

"So what's the verdict?" Nicholai inquired.

"She exhibits all the symptoms of an abandonment disorder, she's so afraid of people hurting her she pretty much acts on autopilot, never allowing herself to get close to anybody." Misato looked over at Nicholai with an 'I told you so' look.

"What about her nightmares though? They're getting worse."

"I did an MRI on her after the last battle," the doctor said handing Nicholai a folder. He took it and began flipping through the images within.

"Do you see these two hemispheres right here?" He nodded. "That's known as the A10 region, they're the parts of the brain responsible for dreams, look how active they are."

"What are you saying?"

"The average person's subconscious only functions at barely half that when sleeping and this is when she's awake!"

"So her brain is on over drive, but what's causing it?"

"The A10 region of the brain is what enables the pilot's to synchronize with the Evangelions." Nicholai starred at the doctor in surprise.

"The Eva's causing them?" Misato asked.

"It appears so; apparently the synchronization with Unit-1 has had an unforeseen side effect, a permanent connection with the Eva."

"Wait, so she's synch with the Eva right now?"

"That's what the scan showed."

"So the dreams are the Eva contacting her?" Nicholai questioned incredulously.

"How could the Eva talk to her? I thought the Eva's didn't have minds of their own." Misato interjected.

"The Eva's generate AT fields and to be able to do that they require a soul, all things with a soul essentially have a mind of their own," Ritsuko explained. Nicholai leaned against the wall letting the doctor's words sink in.

"Can you reverse it?"_   
_"Not with out permanently damaging her brain."

"I'm going to go talk to her," he said, opening the door. Rei looked up tiredly as Nicholai walked in and sat down across from her.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Alright considering I got dragged in here at two in the morning," she replied.

"Touché."

"Did you figure out why I keep having these nightmares?"

"Dr. Akagi believes it has something to do with synchronizing with the Eva, there's some kind of permanent connection between you and it."

"Oh, god the Eva's in my head?" She moaned.

"Afraid so." Rei looked up at him truly frightened.

"Get it out, please, I don't want that thing anywhere near my mind," she pleaded.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible, not without permanent damage." Tears began to well up in her crimson eyes making them shimmer sadly.

"Fucking Eva," she choked out between sobs. "First mom runs off to build the damn thing and now it's making me go crazy!" Nicholai looked on pitying the girl before him.

"Let me ask you this Rei, do you want to pilot the Evangelion?"

"You're not going to yell at me about it like Misato did are you?" She asked, wiping her eyes on her sleeves.

"No, you've already had enough of that, now do you?"

"Does it matter? Even if I didn't want to it wouldn't change a thing."

"You didn't answer my question."

"No, I don't want to pilot it, but you need all the pilots you can get, it wouldn't realalistic putting all the responsibility on Michael," Rei replied. "If I left everyone would be in trouble."

"Yes, but you're the one in trouble now, we forced you into the Eva without any prior experience when it's obvious you can't handle it."

"What do you mean I can't handle it!" She snapped defensively.

"You passed out in your first battle, you had a nervous breakdown after the last one, and if these nightmares keep up you're going to end up in mental institute before you hurt your self or someone else," Nicholai explained pointing to his black eye. Rei opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, adverting her gaze to the floor.

"I'm going to send you back to your uncle's house," the Russian stated flatly. Rei looked up at him in surprise.

"Why?"

"It's for your own good, at this rate you'll only end up dead."

"But," she protested.

"It's going to hurt losing you of course, I guess we'll just have to rewrite Unit-1's parameters for Michael," he said standing and walked over towards the door. "Just forget about the Eva alright? Forget about all of us and go back to your own life."

"Nicholai, wait!" Rei called, her voice wavering.

"Good-bye Rei," he bade with a sad smile and closed the door behind him.

"Nicholai?" He leaned against the outside of the door looking sadly up at his friends.

"Was that the best decision?" Asked Misato. He looked back into the room at the now sobbing girl.

"It was for her."

-------

"The Third Child will be departing Tokyo-3 tomorrow afternoon," Dr. Akagi reported to Yui, the two walking along a corridor deep in the bowels of Central Dogma with Michael following several steps behind them.

"Very well."

"Are you sure about this? I mean the Marduk Institute hasn't found a Fourth Child yet. We don't have a replacement pilot for Unit-1."

"It is one of the scenarios we have predicted," Yui explained. "It easy to foresee what a particular person will do when they're cornered."

"In a worse case scenario we could brainwash her, but then there'd be no telling how difficult it would be for her to synchronize with the Eva after that."

"In that case we'll just have to rewrite Unit-1's data for Michael."

"Yes, ma'am."

-------

"I wonder how she's doin'," Toji pondered out loud, starring out the window next to his desk.

"Who?" Kensuke questioned, looking up from his model VTOL at his friend.

"The new girl, she ain't been in school since da fight. I was wonderin' where she is."

"Why, are you worried about her?"

"Who said I was worried about 'er? I just wanted ta know where she was dat's all!"

"Isn't that the same thing?" Kensuke inquired, adjusting his glasses.

"I guess you got a point," Toji said, flopping heavily into the seat next to his friend.

"If it's bothering you so much why don't you ask Genevieve?" Michael looked up at from his computer at the mention of his name.

"No way, hey scares the hell out of me."

"Me too." Toji sat in silence for several minutes, an expression of boredom was plastered on his face.

"Gaah! Don't scare me like that man!" Kensuke yelled as Toji shot strait up.

"I'm outta here, I'll catch ya later."

"Where you going?"

"To Ikari's place, I want to talk ta her a minute," he stated.

"Do you even know where she lives?"

"I have no fuckin' clue."

-------

"Rei walked sullenly out of the NERV complex flanked on both sides by a pair of Section 2 agents. She looked up in surprise as she noticed Ritsuko standing against the opposite wall.

"Dr. Akagi?"

"I have a message for you from your mother," she said. "She appreciates all your efforts on our behalf and humanity's."

"She couldn't have come out here to tell me that herself?"

"I'm afraid the Commander is a very busy woman."

"So that's it then?"

"Yes," Ritsuko replied walking away.

"Wait!" Rei called after her. The doctor stopped and turned around to face her. "What about Nicholai and Misato? Where are they, aren't they going to good-bye?"

"You're no longer part of NERV, Rei. I cannot tell you anything. I'm truly sorry, but those are the rules." The doctor answered and left. "Good-bye Rei." Rei watched the retreating back of the scientist glaring at her in anger.

-------_  
_Nicholai looked up from his glass of Vodka at Wolf who was currently devouring a Palma granite. He sighed and downed the rest of the Alcohol. 'I guess I should get to work, I'm late as is,' he thought standing. 'Its better this way I guess. If all piloting the Eva did was bringing her pain then Rei's better off back where she came from.'

"Well I guess I'm off," he stated petting the flying fox on the head. "I'll be back later." Grabbing his keys and cell phone he headed towards the door just as the bell rang.

"Yeah?" He asked opening the door to see Toji and Kensuke standing there.

"I can't believe Ikari's living in this cool warehouse," Kensuke exclaimed as he looked down at the space below from the platform.

"Can I help you?" Nicholai interrupted.

"My name is Toji Suzuhara and this is Kensuke, we're from Ikari's class, we were wondering if we could talk to her."

"Oh, right, you're the two she let in the entry plug."

"Yes sir, we're really sorry about the whole affair," the two said in unison. "We had concerns about her, seein' as how she hasn't been in school the last few days so we came by to see her, is she home?"

"You guys are a little too late for that, she's left."

"What do you mean she left?" Kensuke inquired in surprise.

"I haven't reported it to the school yet, but she should actually be getting on her train right now."

"Did she get fired for disobeyin' orders or somethin'?"

"No, the stress was getting too much for her," Nicholai answered.

"So the job got to 'er then?"

"Ikari was acting pretty weird during the battle," Kensuke said. Toji starred at his friend in confusion.

"When she was at school she acted like nothing bothered her," he continued. "Even when Toji roughed her up, but for her to act like to at the way she did, it was like she was purposely disobeying your orders, like a spoiled little kid." Nicholai starred off mulling over what Kensuke had just said. "She's been hurt so much before in the past that she's afraid of getting close to people because they might hurt her again," Misato's voice echoed in his mind. Toji and Kensuke starred in confusion as the Russian took off.

"Mr. Hebb, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Rei off!" He called over his shoulder, running down the stairs and jumping into his car.

"Hey, wait, what about us?" Toji shouted as the car raced out of the warehouse and down the street._  
_

-------_  
_"Train now arriving on track, please stand behind the white line," the monotone of the recording droned over the intercom. Rei stood, bag at her side, waiting for the train to stop, the Section 2 agents standing menacingly behind her.

"What's wrong?" One of the agents asked when Rei refused to move. "Get in the train."

"Rei!" She spun around to see Nicholai standing behind her breathing heavily as if he had run a marathon.

"Nicholai, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, but you guys can go now, I'll take it from here," he spoke addressing the black suited men. They nodded and walked off.

"I wanted to tell you something before you left," he said turning back to Rei. She looked at her former guardian with raised eyebrows.

"Do you want to know the real reason why I wanted you to live with me?"

"Because you and Misato thought that I wouldn't be able to handle living by myself."

"I did feel sorry for you, that much is true, but it was also something else," Nicholai paused looking for the right words. "Ever since my parents died I've lived by my self. I've always thought it would be nice to have someone who'd be at home waiting for me when I got back from work. I thought it would be good to have a family of my own." Rei looked at the man in confusion.

'What's he trying to say, does he want me to be a part of his life?' She wondered.

"Now I'm not the kind of guy who's got it together well enough to be able to take care of someone because I was ordered to, but if you'll let me I want to try and take care of you Rei, I'm sorry I pushed you away like I did."

"Nicholai..." She trailed off, her voice wavering and her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs.

"I-I don't want to go back to where I was before," Rei choked out before throwing her arms around the man and burying her face in his chest.

"Government Special now leaving for Astugi from Track 2, please stand clear of the doors."

"No, we was too late!" Toji moaned as the two watched the train pull away from the station. The two teens starred in shock as the last car disappeared revealing the embracing pair.

"Geez, don't dey got no shame?" Nicholai pulled away, looking the girl in the face.

"Let's go back to our family, our home, alright?" Rei looked up at him smiling.

"...Yeah."_  
_

_: End Transmission:_

TO BE CONTINUED-

A/N: The following is a preview for one of my up coming stories. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions leave them in your reviews. Remember the more reviews I get, the faster these stories get updated. Untill next update, so long and good night.

**What if you were given the chance to decide humanity's fate?**

"Alright, what do I have to do?" He asked Lilith.

"You must make a decision," the Angel disguised as his friend answered.

"What kind of decision?"

"Death or Rebirth," Noah stated.

**What choices would you make?**

"Choose Rebirth and humanity will be reborn into the world as it should have been, life will start anew."

"And if I choose death?"

"Then the world as you knew it will die. Everyone will perish and their souls will merge into one singular godhead," Lilith responded.

**How would you live your life?**

"Then what happened?"

"I woke up."

"Hmmm, that does seem pretty odd, not as notiable as some of the dreams you've had but still," Asuka said. "So you chose Rebirth hunh? Even in your dreams you're looking out for humanity, my hero." Shinji laughed and shook his head.

"You know if this keeps up I might have to retire earliy, this job is starting to get to me."

"Good, that means I can stop worrying about you getting killed out there and you can spend more time at home with me and your daughter." Shinji glanced down at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed and sighed.

"Might as well get up," He said throwing the covers off him. "Shift starts in and hour and I need to pick up Noah." Asuak pouted in annoyance as her husband grabbed his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

**What if the life you chose was just as demented?**

"Hey, Kensuke come look at this," Toji called his partner over to the wall he was looking at. "What do you make of that?"

"Not sure, I've never seen a symbol like that before." Before them on the wall was a circle with two slanted L's connecting it to another circle inside of it drawn in the victims' blood.

"The past is irrecoverable, the future is unknowable, the present is irrefutable. Between the three The Door of Heaven lies Bounded by the crosses five. Pray ye to Samuel and he shall guide your fate. The past is safe, the future is dead, the present is hopeless. Abandon hope, all ye who enter," Toji spoke reading the words written in latin below the symbol.

"Sounds like something from Dante's inferno," Sgt. Aida observed.

"Well either way I can't make heads or tails of it, this Occult bullshit is Sohryu and Ayanami's speciality."

**Could the choices you made have been the wrong ones?**

"What did I do?" Noah questioned looking up at Lilith in shame. "Should I have ever interfered?" The half angel placed a hand on her lover's shoulder.

"The choices we make are what define us, that is the purpose of free will. What we decide whether good or bad leads us closer to our destiny."

"Save me the philosphy, I don't need it!" He snarled before burying his head in his hands. Lilith knelt down pulling Noah's hands apart forcing him to look her in the face.

"You're not a bad person Noah, just a little misguided, do not worry we will fix this together."

**This fall, get ready to witness the rebirth of a new world.**

Special Agent Shinji Ikari Sohryu grimced in disgust as he looked over the report on the desk before him.

"What the hell has this world come to?" He questioned the sky, photo's of the gruesome scene held tightly in his hands.

**New Genesis Gospel**

"You made the right choice, Shinji, are you ready?"

"Yes, but just one more question, who are you, really?"

"Me? Redeemption."

**Coming soon to a computer screen near you.**


End file.
